Career and Education Opportunities for Order Clerks in Providence, Rhode Island

There are many career and education opportunities for order clerks in the Providence, Rhode Island area. About 790 people are currently employed as order clerks in Rhode Island. By 2016, this is expected to shrink by 12% to about 700 people employed. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for order clerks are expected to shrink by about 26.1%. Order clerks generally receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities.

Order clerks earn approximately $14 per hour or $29,570 per year on average in Rhode Island. Nationally they average about $13 per hour or $27,990 yearly. Order clerks earn less than people working in the category of Clerical generally in Rhode Island and less than people in the Clerical category nationally.

The Providence area is home to fifty-five schools of higher education, including three within twenty-five miles of Providence where you can get a degree as an order clerk. The most common level of education for order clerks is a high school diploma or GED. You can expect to spend only a short time studying to be an order clerk if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Order Clerk

Order Clerk video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, order clerks receive and process incoming orders for materials, merchandise, or services such as repairs, installations, or rental of facilities. They also duties include informing customers of receipt, prices, and delays; preparing contracts; and handling complaints.

Order clerks verify customer and order data for correctness, checking it against previously obtained data as needed. They also obtain customers' names and billing data, product numbers, and specifications of items to be purchased, and enter this data on order forms. Equally important, order clerks have to inform customers by mail or telephone of order data, such as unit prices and any anticipated delays. They are often called upon to receive and respond to customer complaints. They are expected to file copies of orders received, or post orders on archives. Finally, order clerks ready invoices and contracts.

Every day, order clerks are expected to be able to see details at a very fine level of focus. They need to understand what others are saying to them even in a noisy environment. It is also important that they articulate ideas and problems.

It is important for order clerks to inspect orders for completeness in line with reporting procedures and forward incomplete orders for further processing. They are often called upon to direct specified departments or units to ready and ship orders to designated locations. They also compute total charges for products or services and shipping charges. They are sometimes expected to talk with production or common carrier personnel so as to expedite or trace shipments. Somewhat less frequently, order clerks are also expected to notify departments when supplies of specific items are low, or when orders would deplete available supplies.

Order clerks sometimes are asked to recommend type of packing or labeling needed on order. They also have to be able to inspect outgoing work for adherence to customers' specifications and ready invoices and contracts. And finally, they sometimes have to calculate and compile order-related statistics, and ready summaries for management.

Like many other jobs, order clerks must be reliable and have exceptional integrity.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Providence include:

Accounts Receivable Specialist. Locate and notify customers of delinquent accounts by mail, telephone, or personal visit to solicit payment. Duties include receiving payment and posting amount to customer's account; preparing statements to credit department if customer fails to respond; initiating repossession proceedings or service disconnection; keeping records of collection and status of accounts.

Correspondence Clerk. Compose letters in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, delinquent accounts, or unsatisfactory services. Duties may include gathering data to formulate reply and typing correspondence.

Courtroom Clerk. Perform clerical duties in court of law; prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges; and contact witnesses, attorneys, and litigants to obtain information for court.

File Clerk. File correspondence, cards, and other records in alphabetical or numerical order or according to the filing system used. Locate and remove material from file when requested.

Insurance Processing Clerk. Process applications for, changes to, and cancellation of insurance policies. Duties include reviewing insurance applications to ensure that all questions have been answered, compiling data on insurance policy changes, changing policy records to conform to insured party's specifications, compiling data on lapsed insurance policies to determine automatic reinstatement according to company policies, canceling insurance policies as requested by agents, and verifying the accuracy of insurance company records.

Library Clerk. Compile records, sort and shelve books, and issue and receive library materials such as pictures, cards, slides and microfilm. Locate library materials for loan and replace material in shelving area, stacks, or files according to identification number and title. Register patrons to permit them to borrow books, periodicals, and other library materials.

Municipal Clerk. Draft agendas and bylaws for town or city council; record minutes of council meetings; answer official correspondence; keep fiscal records and accounts; and prepare reports on civic needs.

Office Clerk. Perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring limited knowledge of office management systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, stenography, office machine operation, and filing.

Payroll Bookkeeper. Compile and post employee time and payroll data. May compute employees' time worked, production, and commission. May compute and post wages and deductions. May prepare paychecks.

Procurement Clerk. Compile information and records to draw up purchase orders for procurement of materials and services.

Production Planner. Coordinate and expedite the flow of work and materials within or between departments of an establishment according to production schedule. Duties include reviewing and distributing production, work, and shipment schedules; conferring with department supervisors to determine progress of work and completion dates; and compiling reports on progress of work, inventory levels, and production problems.

Receptionist. Answer inquiries and obtain information for general public, customers, and other interested parties. Provide information regarding activities conducted at establishment; location of departments, offices, and employees within organization.

Statistical Clerk. Compile and compute data according to statistical formulas for use in statistical studies. May perform actuarial computations and compile charts and graphs for use by actuaries. Includes actuarial clerks.

Weighter. Weigh, measure, and check materials, supplies, and equipment for the purpose of keeping relevant records. Duties are primarily clerical by nature.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Order Clerk Training

Three Rivers Community College - Norwich, CT

Three Rivers Community College, 574 New London Turnpike, Norwich, CT 06360. Three Rivers Community College is a small college located in Norwich, Connecticut. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 4,025 students. Three Rivers Community College has a one to two year program in General Office Occupations and Clerical Services which graduated two students in 2008.

Community College of Rhode Island - Warwick, RI

Community College of Rhode Island, 400 East Ave, Warwick, RI 02886-1807. Community College of Rhode Island is a large college located in Warwick, Rhode Island. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 17,612 students. Community College of Rhode Island has a one to two year program in General Office Occupations and Clerical Services which graduated six students in 2008.

Massasoit Community College - Brockton, MA

Massasoit Community College, One Massasoit Boulevard, Brockton, MA 02302-3996. Massasoit Community College is a medium sized college located in Brockton, Massachusetts. It is a public school with primarily 2-year programs and has 7,394 students. Massasoit Community College has a one to two year program in General Office Occupations and Clerical Services which graduated one student in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

National Professional Certification in Sales:
The Certification was designed to capture the core Sales duties for a broad range of entry-level through first-line supervisory positions across the sales and service industries.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Providence, Rhode Island

Providence, Rhode Island photo by Flickr_upload_bot

Providence is situated in Providence County, Rhode Island. It has a population of over 171,557, which has shrunk by 1.2% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Providence, 105, is above the national average. New single-family homes in Providence are valued at $75,900 on average, which is far less than the state average. In 2008, seventeen new homes were constructed in Providence, down from forty-seven the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Providence are educational services, health care, and miscellaneous manufacturing. For men, it is educational services, accommodation and food services, and miscellaneous manufacturing. The average travel time to work is about 20 minutes. More than 24.4% of Providence residents have a bachelor's degree, which is lower than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 11.3%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Providence is 14.5%, which is greater than Rhode Island's average of 12.2%.

The percentage of Providence residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 63.6%, is more than both the national and state average. United Pentecostal Church, United Presbyterian Church and Providence Assembly of God Church are some of the churches located in Providence. The most common religious groups are the Catholic Church, the American Baptist Churches in the USA and the Episcopal Church.

Providence is home to the Fall River Iron Works and the Broadway-Armory Historic District as well as Burnside Park and Customhouse Historic District. Shopping malls in the area include Silver Lake Plaza Shopping Center, Shopperstown Shopping Center and Corliss Landing Shopping Center. Visitors to Providence can choose from Historic Jacob Hill Farm Bed and Breakfast Inn, Agora Restaurant & Bar and Old Court Bed & Breakfast for temporary stays in the area.